Westministenders: A week in politics is a long time....

[RedToothBrush]

Lost track of politics in the last week or so?

Someone asked how do I keep on top of this? I’ve struggled this week there is so much going on.

Brexit seems to be on a bit of a back burner and we have become utterly swamped in mud and sleaze and corruption allegations

So here is a summary of the last week:

1. Government defeated over the impact reports due to an ancient parliamentary protocol. They must release papers to the public though this is likely to be heavily redacted.
2. Currently we are holding talks about talks with the EU. Instead of speeding up talks. They are annoyed at us for this.
3. Baroness Anelay, the minister responsible for getting the Repel Bill through the Lords, quit citing an injury caused by jumping out of a helicopter several years ago. She was the second person to quit this role. Lord Bridges quit saying it was impossible task.
4. Michael Gove has joined the Brexit Cabinet, which now has a majority of Leavers.
5. There is currently no one employed at the Brexit department for strategic planning.
6. Brexit Bill likely to face even more opposition in the face of Williamson’s self promotion. More Remainers who have been loyal to May talking of joining the Rebel Forces.
7. The has been a threat to rig the Lords to pass the Repel Bill according to Lord Adonis
8. Clegg, Adonis and Clarke went to see Barnier. Farage got jealous.
9. Talks for Stormont broke down. No direct rule but not home rule. Who is ruling is a mystery, but the same can be said in England at present. DUP are not getting their dosh.
10. FTA may not be possible on lines UK want as it would be better than Canada and South Korea and that’s not legally allowed. The real problem for the UK is services.
11. EHCR related issues – prisoner voting rights and letter to Romanian which brings into question whether the EHCR is deliberately being flouted.
12. Clause in the data protection bill which allows it to be ignored ‘cos immigration’.
13. The Electoral Commission are being sued for allowing over spending by Vote Leave
14. Arron Banks is being investigated by the Electoral Commission over how he donated to political causes
15. UKIP whistleblowers reported donations they thought were odd and not declared but only just has come to light
16. Arron Banks is winding up a charity under investigation by the Charities Commission
17. Arron Banks paid for Kate Hoey to go to Washington DC.
18. Lord Ashcroft apparently exposed by the Bermuda hack, like Robert Mercer
19. Steve Baker reported for taking money from the mysterious donor to the DUP
20. Priti Patel breaks ministerial code with an undisclosed trip to Israel with lobbyist. May says she has done nothing wrong, despite it being clear breech of the rules.
21. Michael Fallon quit over multiple incidents
22. Damien Green embroiled in accusation over Kate Maltby. Also having a fight with former counter terrorism copper who he has history with over ‘extreme porn’ found on his computer during a raid. Copper previously said he had been set up in the paper but dropped the accusation. Green is denying everything
23. Charlie Elphicke has had the whip removed and case has been referred to police. Says he has done nothing wrong and isn’t even aware of what he has been accused of.
24. Steven Crabb under investigation for sexting. Has apologised.
25. Michael Garnier under investigation for dildo buying. Has apologised
26. Daniel Kawcyznski allegedly tried to set up dates with aides and wealthy friends
27. Dan Poulter reported by fellow tory MP Andrew Bridgen for allegedly putting hands up skirts. Whips told in 2010.
28. Chris Pincher alleged pound shop Weinstein who attempted to untuck the shirt of former Olympic rower and tory activist Alex Story.
29. Gavin Barwell former whip and May’s special adviser. Broke special advisor code by tweeting politically controversial things. Is accused of being complicit in hiding the bodies and not taking action.
30. Gavin Williamson gave himself a promotion and pissed everyone off. As former whip knows all the dirt but is vulnerable as a result of that, as he didn’t report or discipline offenders.
31. ‘The Lift Lunger’ – as yet unnamed Tory MP said to have ‘attacked’ Labour MP in taxi. Date rape drugs possibly involved.
32. Boris Johnson, Alok Sharma and Tobias Ellwood all named as having contact with the mysterious Maltese professor named in the Papadopoulos indictment.
33. Farage makes anti-Semitic remarks on LBC. That’s Farage, a person of interest to the FBI.
34. Three indictments in USA for Trump Russia. Which implicate a whole load of people by association.
35. Some stuff is going on in Saudi Arabia which should have half an eye kept on it.
36. Jared O’Mara, Clive Lewis, Ivan Lewis and Kelvin Hopkins on the Labour Shit List. Also a rape allegation against a Labour activist which was shut down by a senior Labour figure

This week the Repel Bill and the Budget. Plus no doubt, lots more scandal.

Worst thing for may is that patal is out of country until 3.30 and won't be at Downing Street until 4pm. That means journalists have nothing to do until then but dig as this is today's big story. Not only that but they are pissed off journos who have been lied to.

This may be a long one, but this is why I think they're angling for the no confidence vote.

Let's face it, they've pretty much got 50% willing them to go. They just need another roughly 70% (rounding here) to make sure. The promised dup money looks like one of those promises that is just a possibility and they've already voted against government once. The dup could go either way though, as they have some sway over this government that they haven't over other ones. Yet this government seems to be taking us down a hard border route, which they don't want.

This period of government will hopefully be known as Leaky McLeakface. Everyone is pretty much stabbing everyone in the back. There's stuff coming out that just shouldn't be in a functioning government, and almost constantly.

They're lying almost constantly to parliament. This is riling their own MPs up. There's little reason to do this. Unless you are actually that inept.

Thanks to Leaky McLeakface, a chunk of whip power has gone. The sex scandals list is out and we all know it. The cheif and highly regarded as best for that role whip has taken a cabinet position in a successful coup.

Sure there are other whips and other things to blackmail on, but that leaves MPs with a rather bad pr problem. Those who have been vocal against this government who then if whipped vote in confidence may give off a suggestion of having something to hide.

The Tories don't care about the country mind you, they care about themselves. Brexit will probably cost them decades out of power. Being over turned now and leaving someone else to sort this shit out may only put them a parliament term out. Save the country or save the party. Want to bet which way they'll go?

Yet in Commons yesterday Burt said FCO didn't know of Patel-Netanyahu meeting til 24 August

That could be true in that although the Ambassador (was it?) was at the meeting, he didn't bother to inform the FCO?

Jim Waterson @ jimwaterson
Downing Street rubbishes that Jewish Chronicle story.
*"It's not true that the prime minister knew about Priti's meeting with Netanyahu before Friday."
*"It's also untrue that Number 10 asked DfiD to remove any meetings from the list that was published."

Sounds to me like Patel was there to explore post Brexit economic and security alliance with Israel. Most probably with the knowledge of no10. It was probably part the Tori's genius deluded and dim plan to make Brexit 'a success'.

I'm not even going to ascribe a dark motive to Priti Patel (although there might be one). In my view Priti Patel, with little ability but hugely unjustified self-confidence, had unexpectedly been given a position of power because of our weird politics, our weird politics means that no one's in control, she stupidly thought that she could do as she pleased, and all of this Israel business is just her playing at power. The reason it was Israel is that because of their weird politics they would be open to such an unorthodox approach. And Israel is part of a "Great Game", proper grown-ups stuff.

I think it's simply a case of giving a stupid person power while they know there's no effective oversight of their activities.

What does it say that nobody can tell satire from real posts anymore? It was indistinguishable from genuine Brexit-y posts passim

Poe's law : "Poe's law is an adage of Internet culture stating that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some readers or viewers as a sincere expression of the parodied views."

Sounds to me like Patel was there to explore post Brexit economic and security alliance with Israel. Most probably with the knowledge of no10. It was probably part the Tori's genius deluded and dim plan to make Brexit 'a succes

Oh Dear.

How does this square with the UKs membership of the EU ? Bearing mind the entire rationale behind Brexit talks so far has been "good faith" ?

Not that the Brexiteers will appreciate the nuances, but could this information cause the EU to "go all medieval", and insist on every comma being properly documented in future talks, on the basis they won't trust anything not in writing ?

Brexit will probably cost them decades out of power.

At last, something gained from Brexit .

Poes law goes well with Betteridges Law.

Betteridges law allows me to read an entire weeks worth of Daily Mail and Express front page stories in less than 5 seconds.

You know how the UK are not supposed to negotiate any FTA's while still a member of the EU. I wonder if the gov't are trying to do it on the sly.

Cross, LH.

Decades out of power? We can only hope.

"I wonder if the gov't are trying to do it on the sly."

Yep, bless, they didn't do it terribly well did they no surprises there.

That's what happens when
ego plus confidence > talent plus skill set

Which pretty much sums up Tori politicians.

decades out of power relies on the other lot actually being better.

I'm yet to be convinced that there is any merit to this idea.

That's true rtb
But they're running scared of Corbyn right now.

I would have to assume that Corbyn isn't going to push for a vote of No Confidence because however much a party wants to be in power, they really don't want to be in charge of this mess, and as yet there isn't strong enough evidence that the public have changed their minds over Brexit.

Guido Fawkes‏*@GuidoFawkes*

22,000 people currently tracking Priti Patel's plane on Flight Radar...

decades out of power relies on the other lot actually being better.

I think simply not being the Tories will get them a pretty long way to be honest. Maybe not decades, but a reasonable timeframe that is increasing the further we go with Brexit. I am personally convinced that a lot of our recent voting decisions as a country come down to not voting for someone, rather than actually seeing any positive on what has been voted for.

a lot of our recent voting decisions as a country come down to not voting for someone
Yes, that does seem true, bigly

I'm not sure labour would get in if there was a GE. This article suggests they may get a few more seats in Scotland.
www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2017/11/07/scottish-labour-is-back-in-the-game-what-happens-next-depend

This Patel business is distracting from sooooo much today.
Tomorrow's critical vote on amendments to repel bill, impact doc fibs and budget.

Not sure if this was posted, but single women led families are really getting it in the neck from DWP who is now reporting straight to HO

@natalie_bloomer

DWP hands over child maintenance records to the Home Office for immigration enforcement

Patel's not my type of politician politically, but this is a pretty demeaning way to conduct politics.

Who stands to benefit if May goes?

Gove's quiet.

Allie Hodgkins-Brown‏*@AllieHBNews*
Mr Pollard aid his sources were very clear that 'something strange has happened in No 10' & that 'Number 10 has questions to answer'. Mr Pollard added both stories were independently double sourced.

Pollard is the Jewish Chronicle journo.

The Lying Game: A disturbing pattern of deceit in Westminster

www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2017/11/08/the-lying-game-a-disturbing-pattern-of-deceit-in-westminster

Hannah Arendt for homework, again.

"Rupert Harrison, who used to be George Osborne’s chief of staff, is so taken with the Priti Patel story that he’s turned to poetry.

There once was a lady called Priti
Who met Bibi in the Holy City
She didn't tell her boss
Who got very cross
But neither of them got much pity"

www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2017/nov/08/priti-patel-secret-israel-meetings-politics-live

It's hardly poetry. It's a limerick that doesn't scan very well.

Patel's not my type of politician politically, but this is a pretty demeaning way to conduct politics.

Whereas kicking poor, vulnerable, abused and ill people into homelessness is a perfectly acceptable way to do politics ?

Cry me a fucking river.